1912 Olympic Games Official Report Part 2

CONCOURS D’ART.t was, of course, quite natural, that, when the OlympicGames were revived in our days, a wish should be stronglyexpressed to also include the thought entertained by theancients, and unite intellectual feats to the physicaldisplays at Olympic Competitions.In connection with this idea, Baron Pierre de Coubertin,President of the International Olympic Committee has been a very ardentchampion for the establishment of art competitions in connection withthe modem Olympic Games and, on his initiative, it was determinedby the International Olympic Committee as early as 1906 that, fromthe year 1908, the Olympiads recurring regularly each fourth year,should also include a “Concours d’Art”. The short time at the disposalof the organizers of the Olympic Games of London, 1908,did not permit of the execution of this design, so that nothing cameof the matter at the Fourth Olympiad. The question was discussedagain, however, after the London Games, and, at the Meetings of theInternational Olympic Committee at Berlin, 1909, and at Luxemburg,1910, the decided opinion was expressed that, in connection withthe Olympic Games of 1912, an announcement should be made ofan art competition in architecture, sculpture, painting, music, andliterature, to embrace works directly inspired by athletic sports.In consequence of this definite demand for an art competition inconnection with the Fifth Olympiad, the Swedish Olympic Committeeapplied to the Swedish Art Institutions and Associations, asking their806